Content capability clearing house systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A content capability clearing house that can act as a trusted and neutral mediator among network providers to manage rich content capabilities among multiple networks is provided. Content capabilities that can be brokered include, but are not limited to, quality of service and content screening. In an embodiment, a content capability clearing house includes a receiver that receives content capability request messages and other messages from network providers. A content capability request message includes a quality of service request and/or a subscriber profile request for use with content screening and subscriber specific advertisements. The present invention includes a series of methods for determining content capabilities for data transmission over a transaction between a content provider and a subscriber in which a content capability clearing house is used to efficiently broker and manage the capability among multiple network providers.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/797,377, entitled Content Capability Broker Systemsand Methods, filed on May 4, 2006 by Momtahan et. al., which is herebyexpressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to content distributed over acommunications network, and more particularly, to a content capabilityclearing house.

2. Background of Invention

The distribution and use of high quality, high definition, bandwidthintensive content over a communications network continues to grow inimportance. For example, the distribution of video and flash-basedcontent, including conferencing, over the Internet has seen explosiverecent growth. The distribution of rich content occurs over wireless andwireline networks via the Internet and other types of data networks.

Existing content distribution architectures typically do not ensure QoSand are based on peer-to-peer networking. Furthermore, while somecontent distribution architectures refer to content brokers, thesecontent brokers are providing a central content repository within asingle network provider or with a peer network provider. They are notserving as content brokers that function as a clearinghouse betweenmultiple service providers. More precisely, they do not serve as afacilitator to establish a network connection between an end user usingone network provider and another network provider or content provider,such that the user can access content services at a particular QoSlevel.

For example, U.S. Published Patent Application No.: 2004/0148344,entitled Content Distribution Architecture, filed by Navar et al.,(“Navar patent application”) discloses a cached media distributionsystem that employs the Internet. In the system disclosed within theNavar patent application, content is harvested and stored from multipledisparate sources. Navar Patent Application Abstract. Specifically,content is stored on distributed content servers and a content brokertracks where the content is stored. Id. at ¶48 In this case, when arequest for a certain type of content is received, the content brokerdirects the requester to a content server, which has pre-arrangedcontent—rather than to a network provider—with the appropriate QoSavailable at the appropriate cost. Id. at ¶54. Harvesting and storingpre-arranged content in the context of the overall Internet is simplynot feasible, and would limit end users ability to access the widediversity of content available over the Internet.

Furthermore, content providers want to ensure premium end userexperiences when end users are using or viewing their content.Traditional content providers include entertainment and gamingproviders. Additionally, enterprise content providers are increasinglyusing the Internet to provide business promotion content (e.g., videoads promoting the release of a new automobile), training, communicationsand conferencing services.

The vast majority of the time, when a user requests content, a number ofnetwork providers are involved in transmitting that content from thecontent provider to the end user. For example, when an end user accessesthe PLAYHOUSE DISNEY website for interactive videos and games, thecontent may traverse network facilities operated by several networkproviders, such as Verizon, AT&T, and the like.

A best-effort Internet approach often does not provide an adequatequality of service (“QoS”) level for the distribution of rich content.Furthermore, content providers increasingly desire to prevent access tocertain content. For example, a content provider supporting apornographic website might want to more effectively screen youths fromaccessing pornographic videos for downloading than current approachesbased on credit cards and the like. Furthermore, multi-protocolswitching (“MPLS”) and other virtual private networks (“VPNs”) may beable to provide adequate solutions with respect to quality of service insituations where a single network provider supports the contenttransmission. However, MPLS and other VPN solutions are likely to be toocomplex and expensive to control content capability (e.g., quality ofservice or content screening) when multiple network providers areinvolved.

The existing solutions for providing end-to-end quality of service, andother content capabilities, where multiple network providers areinvolved in the content flow, require methods negotiated and implementedpair-wise between the network providers. Pair-wise methods become costlyand complex with increasing number of network providers involved inglobal coverage of communications services.

For example, U.S. Published Patent Application No.: 2004/0139088,entitled Method for Achieving End-to-End Quality of Service Negotiationsfor Distributed Multi-Media Applications, filed by Mandato et al.(“Mandato Application”), discloses a framework for achieving dynamicend-to-end QoS negotiation and control coordination for distributedmultimedia applications. The Mandato Application notes that “theestablishment of a QoS-enabled communication session can be accomplishedin a multi-step process, starting with negotiation of QoS aspects on anend-to-end basis.” Mandato Application at ¶92. The approach described inthe Mandato Application requires each provider to negotiate with everyother provider. As discussed above, such a pair-wise approach canquickly become cumbersome and inefficient.

What are needed are cost effective systems and methods for providingend-to-end rich content capabilities, such as quality of service andcontent screening, when multiple network providers are involved in thedata path.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a content capability clearing house thatcan act as a trusted and neutral mediator among network providers tomanage rich content capabilities among multiple networks. Contentcapabilities that can be brokered include, but are not limited to,quality of service and content screening. In an embodiment, a contentcapability clearing house includes a receiver that receives contentcapability request messages and other messages from network providers. Acontent capability request message includes a quality of service requestand/or a subscriber profile request for use with content screening andsubscriber specific advertisements. An example of content capability isquality of service in terms of bandwidth, delay, jitter and losstolerance required by the content provider to offer a compellingexperience to the content user.

A content capability clearing house also includes a policy decisionmodule that associates a network profile with a subscriber identifierand a transmitter that transmits content capability request messages andother types of messages.

A content capability clearing house further includes a network profiledatabase that contains information about the network providers that areassociated with the content capability clearing house and a subscriberprofile database that includes subscriber information related tosubscribers of the network providers that are associated with thecontent capability clearing house. The content capability clearing houseincludes a transaction identification module for uniquely identifyingeach transaction.

In another embodiment, a content capability clearing house includes asubscriber preference module and a content tracking repository. Thecontent tracking repository stores viewing history information forsubscribers, while the subscriber preference module analyzes the contenttracking repository to provide subscriber profile information to contentproviders for the placement of customer tailored advertisements.

The present invention includes a series of methods for determiningcontent capabilities for data transmission over a transaction between acontent provider and a subscriber in which a content capability clearinghouse is used to efficiently broker and manage the capability amongmultiple network providers.

The present invention provides cost effective systems and methods forproviding end-to-end rich content capabilities, such as quality ofservice and content screening, when multiple network providers areinvolved in the data path.

Furthermore, in the absence of the present invention significantadministrative and technical complexity would exist to ensure contentcapabilities (e.g., guaranteed quality of service across a connectioninvolving multiple network providers) for data transmission involvingmultiple network providers. Specifically, network providers would needto have agreements in place with many other network providers in aneffort to try to ensure a particular content capabilities. For example,network providers would need to have n² bilateral agreements, whereasusing the present invention only n agreements would need to be in placebetween a content capability clearing house and network providers.

Another benefit of a content capability clearing house is that itprovides an efficient way for tracking subscriber access to informationand content that can be analyzed to provide subscriber specific tailoredadvertisements. In the absence of the content capability clearing house,such a capability is not feasible as there would need to be tracking byeach network provider across traffic that that network provider hasexchanged with every other network provider. Furthermore, given privacyconcerns and the marketing value of subscriber usage information itwould be unlikely that network providers would cooperate with oneanother. In this regard, the content capability clearing house can serveas a neutral third party to the benefit of all network providersinvolved without compromising valuable subscriber usage data.

Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention, as wellas the structure and operation of the various embodiments of theinvention are described in detail below with reference to accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements. The drawing in which an element firstappears is indicated by the left-most digit in the correspondingreference number.

FIG. 1 provides a block diagram of a network having a content capabilityclearing house, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 provides a block diagram of a content capability clearing house,according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 provides a flowchart for a method for determining a contentcapability for data transmission involving a transaction between acontent provider and a subscriber when multiple network providers areused to form a connection, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 provides a signaling diagram that shows the establishment of acontent capability for data transmission involving a transaction betweena content provider and a subscriber, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 provides a signaling diagram that shows the establishment of acontent capability for data transmission involving a transaction betweena content provider and a subscriber that involves subscriber specificadvertisements, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a computer system on which the methods andsystems herein described can be implemented, according to an embodimentof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is described herein with reference toillustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should beunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled inthe art with access to the teachings provided herein will recognizeadditional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scopethereof and additional fields in which the invention would be ofsignificant utility.

FIG. 1 provides a block diagram of network 100 having content capabilityclearing house 140, according to an embodiment of the invention. Network100 includes subscriber browser 100, network provider 1 policyenforcement point (PEP) 120, network provider 1 policy decision point(PDP) 130, content capability clearing house 140, network provider 2policy decision point (PDP) 150 and content provider 160.

Subscriber browser 100 provides the interface for an end user to accesscontent via the Internet or other data network. For example, subscriberbrowser 100 can include, but is not limited to, a web browser such asMICROSOFT EXPLORER. User of subscriber browser 100 is illustrative only.Other means of accessing content can be used, for example, a gaminginterface or an I-Tunes interface.

Network provider 1 PEP 120 can include a packet inspector or router thatenforces policy decisions regarding traffic transmitted through networkprovider 1. PEP 120 can enforce policies including, but not limited to,Diffserv methods. Network provider 1 provides network connectivity tosubscriber browser 100.

Network provider 1 PDP 130 provides and implements policy decisions formessages transmitted over network provider 1's network, such as whetherthe network will permit a message to traverse its network, as will beknown by individuals skilled in the relevant arts. Network provider 1PDP 130 is coupled to network provider PEP 120. Based on definedpolicies, PDP 130 can translate and incoming request from clearing house140 into policies that include, but are not limited to, Diffserv codepoints also known as type-of-service (“TOS”) bytes for PEP 120.

Content capability clearing house 140 enables a system where membernetwork providers, such as network providers 1 and 2, can provideenhanced rich content delivery services in an efficient manner. Contentcapability clearing house 140 can provide billing and otheradministration functions in such an environment. Content capabilityclearing house 140 is coupled to network provider 1 PDP 130.

Network provider 2 PDP 150 provides and implements policy decisions formessages transmitted over network provider 2's network. Network provider2 PDP 150 is coupled to content capability clearing house 140.

Content provider 160 provides content to an end user. For example,content provider 160 could include traditional content providers thatprovide online entertainment and gaming, or can include enterprisecontent providers. A content portal will typically provide the contentfor content provider 160. Example content might include a videodisplayed over the Internet. Network provider 2 provides networkconnectivity to content provider 160. Specifically, content provider 160is coupled to network provider 2 PDP 160.

Wireless or wireline connections can be used for each of the connectionsbetween network elements. Any combination of wireless or wirelineconnections can be supported.

The use of content capability clearing house 140 provides numerousbenefits. Specifically, an end user or subscriber of content canefficiently receive the content experience required or desired by acontent provider within the capabilities of network providers.Furthermore, a content provider only gets charged when an end user getsthe requested content experiences. The network provider where the enduser accesses content, for example, network provider 1, gets appropriatecompensation for providing the appropriate content capability, such as arequested quality of service. The network provider serving the contentprovider, such as network provider 2, can invoice the content providerfor providing an end-to-end service with specified quality of service orother content capabilities.

Within this model, content capability clearing house 140 provides internetwork signaling, charging and management of settlements. Additionally,content capability clearing house 140 is uniquely positioned to brokeruser profiles for content control using content ratings (e.g.,Entertainment Software Rating Board ratings for video games) and similarmeans. Finally, content capability clearing house 140 can develop userprofiles based on a user historical access to content. Using theprofiles, content capability clearing house 140 can provideadvertisements and other services tailored to a particular user'sinterest.

FIG. 2 provides a block diagram of content capability clearing house140, according to an embodiment of the invention. Content capabilityclearing house 140 includes receiver 210, policy decision module 215,transmitter 220, network profile database 225, charging informationdatabase 228, subscriber profile database 230, content trackingrepository 235, transaction identification module 240 and subscriberpreference module 245.

Receiver 210 receives content capability request messages from networkproviders (not shown). A content capability request message can includea quality of service request, for example, a request for a certainguaranteed transmission speed or a request for a maximum number oftransmission error. Additionally, a content capability request messagecan include a viewer profile request, such as a request to view ratedcontent. Receiver 210 can receive other types of messages to supportcontent capability requests and tailored advertisements and messaging.

Policy decision module 215 associates a network profile with asubscriber identifier. When receiver 210 receives a content capabilityrequest, receiver 210 transmits the request to policy decision module215. In one embodiment, networks can be associated with specificsubscribers based on the subscriber's IP address.

Transmitter 220 transmits content capability request messages thatinclude the results provided by policy decision module 215. Transmitter220 can transmit other types of messages to support content capabilityrequests and tailored advertisements and messaging.

Network profile database 225 contains network capabilities and policiesfor many different network operators that are coupled to contentcapability clearing house 140.

Charging information database 228 contains service charging agreementprofiles for networks within network profile database 225.Alternatively, this information can be included within network profiledatabase 225. Charging information database 228 also stores informationrelated to service charges for service connections that can then be usedfor settlements between providers. The charging agreement profiles alsoenable content capability clearinghouse 140 to provide methods forenforcement of policies whereby QoS and other content capabilities areonly requested from other service providers if the network providerrequesting a particular capability has the appropriate service chargingagreement. That is, does the service charging agreement provide chargingarrangements in which higher fees, for example, will be paid for aguaranteed level of QoS.

Subscriber profile database 230 contains subscriber profiles for endusers that are served through content capability clearing house 140.Subscriber profile database 230 includes network associations forsubscribers and information and pointers related to historical viewinghabits. Subscriber profile database can also include information, suchas age, used to determine whether a subscriber can view particularcontent.

Content tracking repository 235 includes content listings of recentlyviewed content for each subscriber in subscriber profile database 230.Content tracking repository 235 may also include user preferenceprofiles that have been developed through analysis of content viewinghistories. For example, if a subscriber viewed content repeatedly aboutfishing, the user preference profiles might associate fishing with thesubscriber, so that fishing specific advertisements could be provided bythe subscriber preference module 245. Either content capability clearinghouse 140 could provide content based on the subscriber preferences orcontent capability clearing house 140 could send a message to a contentprovider indicating what the particular subscriber's preferences are.

Transaction identification module 240 generates a unique transactionidentification for each content capability message that is received. Thetransaction identification is associated with all other messagesgenerated as a result of the original content capability request.

As mentioned above, subscriber preference module 245 generatessubscriber preference information based on the content trackingrepository information for a particular subscriber.

The modules illustrated in FIG. 2 can be implemented in any combinationof software, hardware and firmware. Furthermore, the modules can beimplemented within a single computer system or across multiple computersystems. For example, network profile database 225 can be implemented onone computer system, subscriber profile database 230 can be implementedon another computer system. The remaining modules could then beimplemented on a third computer system.

FIG. 3 provides a flowchart for method 300 for determining contentcapability for data transmission involving a transaction between acontent provider and a subscriber when multiple network providers areused to form the connection, according to an embodiment of theinvention. The method is provided from the perspective of a contentcapability clearing house, such as content capability clearing house140.

Method 300 begins in step 310. In step 310 a content capability requestis received from a first network provider. In step 320 a network profileis determined based on the subscriber profile. In an embodiment, thenetwork profile can be determined by associating a network to asubscriber based on the subscriber IP address. Optionally, in step 330 atransaction identification is generated for the transaction. In step 340a content capability request is transmitted to a second networkprovider. In an embodiment, the content capability request includestransmitting a subscriber IP address, a content category and thetransaction identifier, which can be used as a charging identification.Optionally, prior to transmitting a content capability request to asecond network provider, confirmation that a requesting network has anappropriate service charging agreement occurs. For example, is a userrequests a specific QoS level, charging information database 228 can beaccessed to validate that the requesting network provider has a servicecharging agreement that supports paying a premium fee for a guaranteedQoS.

Optionally, in step 350 a profile for the subscriber is updated based onthe transaction. For example, the subscriber profile can be updated toindicate the type of content that was requested.

In step 360 a content capability confirmation is received from thesecond network provider. In step 370 a content capability confirmationis transmitted to the first network provider. The content capabilityconfirmation confirms that the requested content capability can beprovided. In step 380 method 300 ends.

FIG. 4 provides a signaling diagram 400 that shows the establishment ofa content capability for data transmission involving a transactionbetween a content provider and a subscriber, according to an embodimentof the invention. The signaling diagram is based on the example networkprovided in FIG. 1. The use of the example network of FIG. 1 is forillustration purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. In particular, a content capability clearing house can beused within a network scenario involving more than two networkproviders, or with only one network provider, as will be known byindividuals skilled in the relevant arts based on the teachings herein.

Referring to FIG. 4, the transaction begins in step 410. In step 410,subscriber browser 110 requests content from content provider 160. Forexample, an end user subscriber could request content from a web page.Upon receipt of the content request, content provider 160 determinesthat the content owner would like to provide a certain quality ofservice (“QoS”). In alternative embodiments, other types of requests orinformation can be included, such as, for example, a content rating thatcould be used to determine whether a subscriber is permitted to receivethe requested content.

In step 415 content provider 160 transmits a content capability request,which in this scenario is a QoS request to network provider 2 PDP 150,which provides connectivity services to content provider 160.

In step 420 network provider 2 PDP 150 validates that content provider160 is authorized to request the QoS and transmits a QoS request tocontent capability clearing house 140.

In step 425 content capability clearing house 140 validates that networkprovider 2 is authorized to request the specified QoS, identifies thesubscriber network from the subscriber's IP address, retrieves networkprovider 1's network policy and validates that the requested QoS ispermitted.

In step 430 content capability clearing house 140 transmits a QoSrequest message to network provider 1 PDP 130.

In step 435 network provider 1 PDP 130 identifies the subscriber fromthe subscriber IP address or other means, retrieves the subscriberpolicy and validates that the requested QoS is allowed.

In step 440 network provider 1 PDP 130 transmits a QoS request tonetwork provider 1 PEP 120, which can be a traffic shaper PEP, such as adeep packet inspector.

In step 445 network provider 1 PEP 120 applies the requested QoS andtransmits a QoS confirmation message to network provider 1 PDP 120. Instep 450 network provider 1 PDP 130 forwards the QoS confirmationmessage to content capability clearing house 140. In step 455 contentcapability clearing house 140 forwards the QoS confirmation message tonetwork provider 2 PDP 150. Optionally, content capability clearinghouse 140 can record that the requested QoS transaction has beensuccessfully established, which can later be used for billing/settlementpurposes or other analysis. In step 460 network provider 2 PDP 150forwards the QoS confirmation message to content provider 160.

In step 465 content provider 160 provides content to subscriber browser110 at the requested QoS. Once the content has been delivered, in step475 content provider 160 transmits a QoS release message that identifiesthat the content has been delivered and that the requested level ofservice should be released.

In step 480 network provider 2 PDP 150 forwards the QoS release messageto content capability clearing house 140. In step 485 content capabilityclearing house 140 forwards the QoS release message to network provider1 PDP 130. Optionally, content capability clearing house 140 can recordthe completion of the requested QoS transaction, which can later be usedfor billing purposes or other analysis. In step 490 network provider 1PDP 130 transmits the QoS release message to network provider 1 PEP 130to complete the transaction.

FIG. 5 provides a signaling diagram 500 that shows the establishment ofa content capability for data transmission involving a transactionbetween a content provider and a subscriber, according to an embodimentof the invention. The message exchange illustrated in signaling diagram500 highlights further enhancements and considerations that can buildupon the message exchange illustrated in signaling diagram 400. For easeof illustration only signaling events between network provider 1 PDP130, content capability clearing house 140 and network provider 2 PDP150 are shown.

In step 510 network provider 2 PDP receives a request from a contentprovider for enhanced QoS or for a viewer profile. In response networkprovider 2 PDP 150 transmits a QoS request message to content capabilityclearing house 140. Alternatively or in addition, network provider 2 PDP150 can request a viewer profile within the QoS request message ortransmit a separate viewer profile message.

In step 515 content capability clearing house 140 validates that networkprovider 2 is authorized to request the specified QoS, identifies thesubscriber network from the subscriber's IP address, retrieves networkprovider 1's network policy and validates that the requested QoS ispermitted.

In step 520 content capability clearing house 140 generates a uniquetransaction identifier for this transaction, which can be used by allparties to the transaction for reconciliation and dispute resolution.

In step 525 content capability clearing house 140 transmits a QoSrequest message to network provider 1 PDP 130. The QoS request messagecan include, but is not limited to, the transaction identifier, thesubscriber IP address, content category and type of service beingrequested.

In step 530 network provider 1 PDP 130 looks up the subscriber profileand pseudonym based on the subscriber's IP address (typically using aDHCP lease query). The pseudonym is constant across all transactions andserves to protect the identity of the subscriber for privacyconsiderations.

In step 535 network provider 1 PDP 130 evaluates the subscriber profileto determine content suitability and whether the requested QoS can beprovided.

In step 540 network provider 1 PDP 130 transmits a QoS confirmationmessage to content capability clearing house 140. The QoS confirmationmessage can include, but is not limited to, the transaction identifierand Pseudonym.

In step 545 content capability clearing house 140 updates the subscriberprofile for the pseudonym based on the content category and othercharacteristics. As previously discussed with respect to FIG. 2, contenttracking repository 235 can be used to track subscriber viewingcharacteristics.

In step 550 content capability clearing house 140 sends a QoSconfirmation message to network provider 2 PDP 150. The QoS confirmationcan include, but is not limited to the transaction identifier andsubscriber profile information (e.g., the types of content category thatare most interesting to a subscriber based on the contents within thecontent tracking repository 235 for the particular subscriber. Networkprovider 2 PDP 150 forwards the QoS confirmation message information tothe content portal.

In step 555 a content provider receives the QoS confirmationinformation, evaluates the subscriber profile information and deliversthe requested content. Additionally, the content provider can provideadvertising that is specific to the subscriber's viewing habits based onthe subscriber profile information.

For ease of illustration, the signaling diagrams of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5illustrate two signaling scenarios that primarily focus on QoS requests.A content capability clearing house can provide other types of contentcapability mediation or brokering services between one or multiplenetworks. For example, a content capability clearing house can provide,as highlighted above, the ability to more effectively regulate theviewing of rated content. Based on the teachings herein, individualsskilled in the relevant arts will be able to ascertain other contentcapabilities that can be brokered by a content capability clearinghouse.

Computer System Implementation

In an embodiment of the present invention, the methods and systems ofthe present invention described herein are implemented using well knowncomputers, such as a computer 600 shown in FIG. 6. The computer 600 canbe any commercially available and well known computer capable ofperforming the functions described herein, such as computers availablefrom International Business Machines, Apple, Sun, HP, Dell, Cray, etc.

Computer 600 includes one or more processors (also called centralprocessing units, or CPUs), such as processor 610. Processor 600 isconnected to communication bus 620. Computer 600 also includes a main orprimary memory 630, preferably random access memory (RAM). Primarymemory 630 has stored therein control logic (computer software), anddata.

Computer 600 may also include one or more secondary storage devices 640.Secondary storage devices 640 include, for example, hard disk drive 650and/or removable storage device or drive 660. Removable storage drive660 represents a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compactdisk drive, an optical storage device, tape backup, ZIP drive, JAZZdrive, etc.

Removable storage drive 660 interacts with removable storage unit 670.As will be appreciated, removable storage unit 660 includes a computerusable or readable storage medium having stored therein computersoftware (control logic) and/or data. Removable storage drive 660 readsfrom and/or writes to the removable storage unit 670 in a well knownmanner.

Removable storage unit 670, also called a program storage device or acomputer program product, represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape,compact disk, optical storage disk, ZIP disk, JAZZ disk/tape, or anyother computer data storage device. Program storage devices or computerprogram products also include any device in which computer programs canbe stored, such as hard drives, ROM or memory cards, etc.

In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to computer programproducts or program storage devices having software that enablescomputer 600, or multiple computer 600s to perform any combination ofthe functions described herein.

Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored inmain memory 630 and/or the secondary storage devices 640. Such computerprograms, when executed, direct computer 600 to perform the functions ofthe present invention as discussed herein. In particular, the computerprograms, when executed, enable processor 610 to perform the functionsof the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs representcontrollers of the computer 600.

Computer 600 also includes input/output/display devices 3180, such asmonitors, keyboards, pointing devices, etc.

Computer 600 further includes a communication or network interface 690.Network interface 690 enables computer 600 to communicate with remotedevices. For example, network interface 690 allows computer 3100 tocommunicate over communication networks, such as LANs, WANs, theInternet, etc. Network interface 690 may interface with remote sites ornetworks via wired or wireless connections. Computer 600 receives dataand/or computer programs via network interface 690. Theelectrical/magnetic signals having contained therein data and/orcomputer programs received or transmitted by the computer 600 viainterface 690 also represent computer program product(s).

The invention can work with software, hardware, and operating systemimplementations other than those described herein. Any software,hardware, and operating system implementations suitable for performingthe functions described herein can be used.

CONCLUSION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented. Theinvention is not limited to these examples. These examples are presentedherein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternatives(including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., ofthose described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in therelevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Suchalternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

1. A system, comprising: a receiver configured to receive a contentcapability request message from a network provider supporting a contentprovider, wherein the content capability request message indicates thatthe content provider desires to establish an end-to-end communicationspath for providing a content delivery session between the contentprovider and a subscriber at a specified quality of service, andincludes a subscriber identifier that identifies the subscriber for usewith content screening: a policy decider configured to associate anetwork profile with the received subscriber identifier, wherein thepolicy decider determines whether the subscriber's network provider willsupport the requested quality of service based on the subscriber'snetwork profile and supports content screening based on the subscriberidentifier; a subscriber profile database, wherein the subscriberprofile database includes a content tracking repository that isconfigured to record content viewed by subscribers; and a subscriberpreference generator, wherein the subscriber preference generator isconfigured to generate subscriber preference information based on thecontent tracking repository for the subscriber identified in the contentcapability request.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising anetwork profile database, wherein the network profile database isconfigured to store network capabilities and policies for a plurality ofnetwork providers.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network profileincludes network capabilities and policies for a network provider usedby the subscriber.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein upon receipt of acontent capability request message the policy decider determines whetherthe subscriber's network provider will support the requested quality ofservice based on the subscriber's network profile and supports contentscreening based on the subscriber identifier.
 5. The system of claim 1,further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a second contentcapability request message, wherein the second content capabilityrequest message is transmitted to the subscriber's network provider toestablish an end-to-end communications path based on the receivedcontent capability request and processing of the received contentcapability the received content capability request by the policydecider.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the transmitter is configuredto transmit subscriber preference information in a content capabilityconfirmation message to the content provider; wherein the subscriberpreference information includes information regarding a subscriber'sviewing history across multiple content providers.
 7. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a transaction identifier configured togenerate a unique transaction identification for each content capabilityrequest message that is received.
 8. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a charging information database, wherein the charginginformation database is configured to include network provider servicecharging agreements.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the charginginformation database is configured to record transaction informationthat provides for settlement of charges among network providers usingthe system.
 10. A method, comprising: receiving a content capabilityrequest from the first network provider, wherein the content capabilityrequest from the first network provider indicates that the contentprovider desires to establish an end-to-end connection for providing acontent delivery session between the content provider and the subscriberat a specific quality of service and includes a subscriber identifierthat identifies the subscriber for use with content screening;determining a network profile for the subscriber's network provider;validating whether the subscriber's network provider can provide thespecified quality of service and content tailored to the subscriber,wherein the validating is based upon the determined network profile andthe subscriber identifier; screening content to be delivered based onthe subscriber identifier; wherein a subscriber profile databaseincludes a content tracking repository that is configured to recordcontent viewed by subscribers; wherein a subscriber preference generatoris configured to generate subscriber preference information based on thecontent tracking repository for the subscriber identified in the contentcapability request.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprisinggenerating a transaction identification for the transaction.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising storing the transactionidentification and charging information related to the transaction. 13.The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the content capabilityrequest to the subscriber's network provider further comprisestransmitting a subscriber Internet Protocol (IP) address, contentcategory and charging identification.
 14. The method of claim 10,further comprising updating a profile for the subscriber based on thetransaction.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the contentcapability request from the first network provider further comprisesreceiving a subscriber IP address and content category.
 16. The methodof claim 15, wherein determining the network profile for subscriber'snetwork provider further comprises associating a network to a subscriberbased on the subscriber IP address.
 17. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising validating whether the first network provider has a servicecharging agreement that supports charging for a premium fee in order toguarantee the specified quality of service included in the contentcapability request.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein when the servicecharging agreement does not support charging for the premium fee,denying the content capability request.
 19. The method of claim 17,further comprising wherein when the service charging agreement supportscharging for the premium fee, guaranteeing the specified quality ofservice requested in the content capability request received from thefirst network provider.
 20. A computer-readable storage device havingcomputer program logic recorded thereon, execution of which, by acomputing device, causes the computing device to perform operations forestablishing content delivery capabilities for an end-to-endcommunications transaction between a content provider supported by afirst network provider and a subscriber supported by a second networkprovider, comprising: receiving a content capability request from thefirst network provider, wherein the content capability request from thefirst network provider indicates that the content provider desires toestablish an end-to-end connection for providing a content deliverysession between the content provider and the subscriber at a specificquality of service and includes a subscriber identifier that identifiesthe subscriber for use with content screening; determining a networkprofile for the subscriber's network provider; validating whether thesubscriber's network provider can provide the specified quality ofservice and content tailored to the subscriber, wherein the validatingis based upon the determined network profile and the subscriberidentifier; screening content to be delivered based on the subscriberidentifier; wherein a subscriber profile database includes a contenttracking repository that is configured to record content viewed bysubscribers; wherein a subscriber preference generator is configured togenerate subscriber preference information based on the content trackingrepository for the subscriber identified in the content capabilityrequest.